They sure don’t make sleds like they used to. I still remember the old Flexible Flyer sled we had growing up. The powder-coated steel runners elevated the treated birch body off the snow high enough to ensure that there was minimal friction to slow you down. Combine this simple engineering with ideally packed snow and you had yourself a sixty inch snow torpedo. That flexible wooden steering plank mounted on the front gave the lead rider little, if any, serious control of a four-person team once they reached terminal velocity. As if this sled wasn’t dangerous enough, I can recall riding it down the middle of our steeply sloped street. Thankfully there wasn’t a lot of traffic.
4 replies on “Sledding”
Ah Yes, the good ‘ol days. Due to lack of hills at the farm, we got pull behind the “3 wheeler”. We learned quickly that a sled with runners doesn’t corner as well as the ATV.
Indeed, every kid that grew up within 50 miles of a farm (or has relatives on the farm) has a good “three wheeler” story. I’m bettin’ you didn’t wear helmets either.
We had “a” helmet, it was silver. It belonged to my cousin and it probably was the wrong size. No one ever tried it on, but I bet it is still hanging in up in my Dad’s shop on the wall.
I’m sure our double-bladed death-rocket is still hanging in my dad’s garage somewhere. We also had an 8-person toboggan (sp?) that was great fun going down, but hauling that beast back up the hill was quite a chore. *sigh* I miss being a kid.